I had been doing rather well with just the run of the mill kind of pain after day 8 following the bunion and hammertoe surgery and had stopped taking the pain meds. Days 8 through 13 were pretty good but since yesterday I have been experiencing something that is a bit troubling. The stitches and the pins/rods in my feet have me back on vicodin....I want to tear off the boot, which feels like a block of concrete, rip off the bandages, pull out the pins and cut through the stitches. I KNOW I am not going to do that, but that is how bad it feels. No fever or sign of infection. But I am going mad from the feeling of the boot and the stretched feeling of the skin where the stitches are...and those pins feel like hot pokers. Keeping the foot elevated but it doesn't help, nor do ice packs. Now, my question is...is this part of the normal healing process? I don't see my doctor again until Wednesday morning when he starts on the second foot and also removes the pins and stitches...and try to get ahold of a doctor in NYC on a week-end! Would you consider this an emergency room situation or is this new pain sort of normal two weeks post-op? Please, anyone, tell me whether this is freak-out time or not!

I would definitly call the office and have service beep him to call you..

So how are you today?:confused:

Thanks for asking, Jules...that is so kind of you. I am still in pain but found something interesting. I have been wearing that boot night and day except for brief showers when I sit on a shower stool. The hurting of the pins and the stitches and the swelling would stop then...so for the first time last night I slept without the boot and all the throbbing and burning stopped. Okay, I am still NWB on that foot, so I know I can't walk around the apartment without the boot but now I am thinking the pain is somehow related to the weight of the boot itself. Bootless, I can sit on the edge of the bed and flex my knee and ankle with NO pain...Yipppeee-skippeeee....as soon as I try that with the boot on, I am back to having crossed eyes. I have played around with deflating and inflating the boot to see if that makes a difference but it does not. It is just the weight of the boot itself pressing on all the rows of stitches and all the pins and screws.

Couldn't talk to the doctor yesterday and Monday I have three other medical appointments I have to keep (ain't getting old fun?) before I am hobbled by boots on both feet after the second surgery on Wednesday. I could see him Tuesday, but it so hard for me to get up and down all the stairs to my apartment that I think I will just wait to talk to him at the hospital on Wednesday morning and see if there is a lighter weight boot that he can switch me to since as of Wednesday the first foot will be weight bearing and the pins and stitches come out. In the meantime, I'll just spend a lot of time reading bootless in bed.

I am a novice at surgery of any kind and I suspect I start to get panicky because I really don't know what is normal and what isn't. Again, your concern in much appreciated.

I think taking off the boot when you are not walking is ok to do..i never slept with mine on..and always took it off when i was sitting or in bed..i could never sleep with that thing on..:cool:

Mariane~
I'm glad you're finding some relief. I had odd "pulling" sensations where the rod is, shortly after I got the boot, and freaked, thinking the weight was pulling the rod out. It got painful, and as my swelling decreased, I could see and feel the rod, and became convinced it was torn off the bone, but it didn't hurt that bad. Tech said it wasn't the boot, but a normal sensation as my body heals and builds scar tissue. PWB now, and it doesn't hurt it, so I guess they were right... You will feel any number of odd sensations, some irritating, some painful, some just different, as you heal. Anytime you aren't sure it's ok, ask! Take care of yourself, and update soon. RE the boot: I take mine off when I'm sitting around in the evenings, but never get up without strapping the darn thing on, I'm so clutzy. I AM tempted to sleep without it, but still have some pretty powerful muscle spasms, and I'm afraid I'll break something. Kim

Thanks for the calming re-assurance, Kim. Having this surgery must be akin to being pregnant from what my friends have described....one's body does all kinds of things and you just kind of sit there and are along for the ride. Actually, when I went in for the weekly check-up this past Tuesday, one of the rods was partially out a little way. The doc said not to worry, that it would heal fine, but it couldn't be shoved back in (my suggestion!) or taken out yet. Maybe the weight of the boot on that little bit of sticking out rod is the root of the problem. Anyway, all the rods come out on Wednesday and I get a new set for my right foot. What fun! I think I will ask for one of the rods as a souvenier. :D

Your rods are different from mine, and literally come out! (Mine is firmly screwed to my fibula.) I'll pray with you that yours moving didn't damage the repair. It's good that you get them out soon, and won't have to worry about damage from them bumping/jarring. I know lots of people have your op, and I'm usually fascinated with watching procedures, technology, but when it comes to my own body I am not so brave, more like a 2 year old getting a shot... I don't think I could handle looking at my foot and seeing big old metal, alien antennae poking out of my toes!!! One of your fellows had one come out altogether! Anyway, I'm glad you feel better. Take care, and keep us posted!

Hi all!
I'm a newbie here. I've been reading posts for a month or two, but I had to respond to this and tell you, Mariann, about my hairdresser. Ten years ago she broke her ankle. She had to have the hardware removed a while back, and she asked for the pieces. She actually had a mobile made of the screws and pins, and has it hanging in her shop!! It's rather attrsactive, and quite a conversation starter!

I have to say that I think you are quite brave to have both feet fixed so close together, I had one foot done in March, and my doctor won't do the other one until winter!! Cindy

Best of luck on Wednesday

I had a toe straightened 3 wks ago that during surgery did'nt need a pin and I ALWAYS take off my special shoe when Im sitting or lying down and I rest my ankle/foot on a pillow. Im getting my stiches out on Friday. :D)

BTW, my shoe sounds kinda different from your boot! Mine doesnt inflate. its more like a sandle and has a triangular heel (propably rubber) to stop me putting any weight onto healing parts of my foot. I have to walk though the heel of that foot.

hope I can help even if it is only by saying good luck!

That souns annoying!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that you can have all kinds of aches and pains and pulling and cramping. I can say, I have never had a rod in my body. OUCH

Wait a min. You are the one that was walking all around, shopping and doing erands. WITH PINS AND RODS!! Geez. You are a tough one. LOL.

Thanks for all the responses....but WTW....that foolish walking I did was days before the rods and stitches started bothering me. I was SORE for a day or two after the walking, but I don't think that that caused the bad pain days later.

Well, they all come out tomorrow when I get new ones in my other foot.

I think I will ask for all the rods (great idea) and take them back to Mexico with me where I can have a local artisan make ankle bracelets out of them, complete with beads, to remind me never to let any physical problem get as bad as my feet were. I had been playing ostrich with my head in the sand while my feet got worse and worse...perhaps these surgeries on both feet would have been less problemmatical had I done something about them 15 years ago!:eek:

Geez, Mariane, I'd forgotten about your expedition before WTW mentioned it. You likely didn't do harm directly with the trek, but excess fluid build-up and pooled blood in those tissues leads to muscle spasms, and some of those can be pretty harsh. Do you have the spasms? I'm so glad your rods come out today. Let us know later how your appointment goes! Kim
I love the mobile idea, and the ankle bracelets! Pity my hardware stays, except maybe the large screw, at least a year away! I never kept my casts, either, as Megan did, or I'd have an interesting time, cutting tiles for a mosaic, or maybe drilling holes in them and making a "mobile/hanging planter". I think we get very creative when we have so much time on our hands!!! :D Take care. Kim

Kim,

Haha...keeping casts. I actually didn't keep the last one that I had removed last week because it smelled so horrible....LOL...it would have stunk up my closet! When the nurse finally got it cut off (it took her about 20 minutes to get sawed through it b/c she had gotten it so thick) she asked me if I wanted it, and I told her to trash it. Walking around in the 95 degree heat for 6 weeks in the thing really made it raunchy.

Megan

Just kidding about your walking. That is a good idea about the ankle bracelet. I have a battery pack that use to be in my calf. I think I will have them make something out of it.